Ragamuffin kitties

[monarch64]

Does anyone have a Ragamuffin kitty? I just discovered them online today and fell in love with the breed!

Some info:
Ragamuffin Cats - Who Are They?

Picture source:
Heavenly Muffins © 1999-2002
Heavenly Muffins Cattery
Extremely loveable and docile, RagaMuffin cats were developed in the latter part of the 20th century by Mrs. Baker of Riverside. The exact origin of the breed is unknown as the developer chose what cats to breed. It is believed that the breed was developed from street cats found in Riverside.
The RagaMuffin cat is famous for its mellow personality and tends to be very friendly to people. The breed is never aloof and does everything to earn a cuddle. Many RagaMuffins follow their owners as they are very people-oriented and thrive on much attention. Keep in mind that they are indoors cats.
Ragamuffin Cats - Description
The breed has a slightly larger skeleton, which allows it to carry large weight. These cats are large and heavy reaching about 10-15 lbs. Males are usually larger than females and can be as large as 20 lbs. In fact, the RagaMuffin cat is slow to mature.
The RagaMuffin is a low maintenance cat. It has a medium to medium-long coat that has to be brushed regularly. The texture resembles that of the rabbit and is usually dense and silky. The coat on the neck and around the face tends to be longer than on the rest of the body. The head is slightly wedge-shaped. The eyes are usually blue, green, turquoise, or odd. Unlike Ragdolls, RagaMuffin cats have walnut shaped eyes rather than oval

And a pic or two:

 

[monarch64]

How cute! I found a couple of breeders close to where I live...I love kitties and this breed sounds to be right up my alley and would fit in well with my household--my DH and beagle, who needs a companion. From what I''ve read, I learned that the ragamuffins are bred to have a more puppy-like temperament and love to be cuddled and given attention, not standoffish or aloof and very social. Does anyone have any information or experience they could share about the breed?? I would love to learn more. Thanks!

Heather

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I don''t have any information on them (we always get our cats from a shelter or are strays) but I can''t wait to see pictures of your new kitty (f you get one) Both of our cats have dog personalities and I love that! One even fetches. They are very playful and loving. We got really lucky.

 

[Diam100]

A relative of mine has two... a brother & sister from the same litter. They are about 2 now but are completely adorable. I would say the male is the most puppy like & the female is more aloof. Personally, I like Maine coons if your after a cat that is more "Dog" like. The males get really, really big. My husband''s maine coon is far bigger than the adult male ragamuffin. He''s been known to turn the door knob & lock us (well me) out. I don''t think he''s ever got over the fact I married his master..(lol).

 

[monarch64]

You are really lucky to have found such great pets, Tacori! My last kitty was quite skittish and when DH and I moved into our house and got our puppy a couple years ago, she just couldn''t deal with it and I had to give her to a co-worker with a "quieter" household environment. She''s very happy now, thankfully, but I miss having her.

I have to talk my husband into getting a kitty first before I get too involved with the search. I haven''t gotten the chance to talk to him about it yet, as I just discovered these ragamuffins today and he is golfing...his only complaint about cats was that they have minds of their own and are not as loving as dogs. I disagree, but was never able to change his mind. I''m hoping that this breed would work out for all of us since they are supposed to be "followers" and a bit more dog-like, even though that seems so strange!

 

[monarch64]

Date: 5/5/2006 8:16:44 PM
Author: Diam100
A relative of mine has two... a brother & sister from the same litter. They are about 2 now but are completely adorable. I would say the male is the most puppy like & the female is more aloof. Personally, I like Maine coons if your after a cat that is more ''Dog'' like. The males get really, really big. My husband''s maine coon is far bigger than the adult male ragamuffin. He''s been known to turn the door knob & lock us (well me) out. I don''t think he''s ever got over the fact I married his master..(lol).

That''s so funny that your maine coon locks you out, ha!

I kind of giggled over the thought of that! I don''t know whether we would want a female or male kitty, we have a male beagle and I would kind of like to have a female kitty to "balance" out the macho vibe in the house, lol.

 

[Diam100]

Well I''m surrounded by males in my home... male cat, male dog, male bird & male hubby. Sometimes it''s good to be the Queen Female..

 

[monarch64]

Date: 5/5/2006 8:52:39 PM
Author: Diam100
Well I''m surrounded by males in my home... male cat, male dog, male bird & male hubby. Sometimes it''s good to be the Queen Female..

Ha ha--excellent point Diam100, and one I hadn''t thought of!!!

I will have to keep that in mind for sure.

 

[Cind11]

I don''t know much about Ragamuffins, but if you could find a cat show in your area that is a great way to be able to talk to breeders about their cats. (and see the breeds in person) Go to www.catfancy.com and you should be able to find the nearest cat show.

We have Siamese (or some variation thereof like Balinese and Oriental Shorthairs) and I think they are very loving and dog-like. Definitely not aloof in any way shape or form. My husband calls then "in your face" kind of cats. The Ragmuffins ARE adorablel...

 

[monarch64]

Date: 5/5/2006 9:54:31 PM
Author: Cind11
I don''t know much about Ragamuffins, but if you could find a cat show in your area that is a great way to be able to talk to breeders about their cats. (and see the breeds in person) Go to www.catfancy.com and you should be able to find the nearest cat show.

We have Siamese (or some variation thereof like Balinese and Oriental Shorthairs) and I think they are very loving and dog-like. Definitely not aloof in any way shape or form. My husband calls then ''in your face'' kind of cats. The Ragmuffins ARE adorablel...

Thank you for the link, Cind11. I couldn''t figure out what to click on to find a cat show?

I''m glad to hear your kitties are so sweet. I have always heard that Siamese are really loving and talkative, not to mention beautiful! My grandmother had a Siamese named Billy (?

weird name, I know!) for almost 20 years and he was gorgeous. Unfortunately she didn''t spend enough time with him--she probably never should''ve owned a pet--and he wreaked havoc on her furniture and drapes. He was never very social with my brother and me when we visited her...even when we were older and knew better than to go looking for him he would never come out.

My DH just came home an hour ago and after I let him get settled I asked him if it was a good time to talk about my discovery. Much to my dismay he said "no," but only because he didn''t feel in the mood to give the topic his full attention right now.

He''s had a long day...I will bring it up tomorrow night after dinner, most likely. I''m so excited! This adventure comes in a close second to new diamonds and jewelry, hee hee!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Monarch I know what you mean. My parents cat is such a brat. She is so moody. In my limited experience the male cats we have had have been slightly more loving than the females. Not sure if that means anything. Our little boy LOVES to sleep on our laps, legs, by our heads....he is still a baby though.

I love it!

ETA: we ALWAYS had a cat and dog growing up. Whenever we brought in a kitten AFTER the dog they always got along. If the cat was their first they never did so chances are the new kitten and dog will get along fine.

 

[AndyRosse]

Ragamuffins and maine coons are my favorite cat breeds, but in the end, I will always adopt a cat from a shelter or at least a kitty that needs a home. You can go onto petfinder.com and search by breeds

Rascal is part maine coon and definitely thinks he is part dog

. He follows me around the house, greets me at the front door, and loves his belly to be scratched. If your husband wants a more affectionate kitty, go to a shelter and talk to them about which cat would be best for you. You are bound to find the perfect kitty

 

[Blue824]

Monarch - those are cute! You''ll have to post lots of pictures if you get one!

I don''t know what breed any of my cats are, well, ones a calico, but is that a breed or just coloring? And the others, I think, are mutt tabbies. Anyway, the youngest, Kishiu, he is SO a dog. He used to play fetch when he was little! We''d throw a ball, he''d run, pick it up, and drop it in your lap for him to throw again... he stopped when I left for school and stopped doing that with him regularly though

and he wags his tail like a dog, not like my other cats do at all. He''s the funniest cat ever...his sister that my aunt took, is NOTHING like him at all! So I tend to think that this dog-like qualities aren''t always a guaranteed, they all have thier own personalities...I think any kitten you get will learn to adapt to the dog and I agree that it is easier that way than the reverse.

 

[Cind11]

Monarch,

Well now I am annoyed at myself. I am sure that I have found cat shows from that website but I went there and couldn''t find it either. I''m going to ask my DH because he likes cat shows and see what he remembers about how to find them.

Siamese do need A LOT of attention. They do not like to be ignored. Your grandma''s Siamese was probably feeling pretty put out that she wasn''t "there" for him. I''m surprised that he didn''t want attention from you and your brother. Maybe he just didn''t see that many people and so was never really socialized.

I''ll post later hopefully with the cat show info.

 

[FireGoddess]

Cute litle ragamuffin kitty! Don''t have one, but have heard of them. I was told Chloe is a snowshoe. She''s definitely part siamese. I''ve been told that several times. She''s also EXTREMELY vocal even though she''s a fraidy cat. Love her to death.
The ragamuffin kitty looks so cute - fluffy tail...

 

[Cind11]

Well, my DH says he''d go to www.dogpile.com (good search engine-it searches google, yahoo, and a bunch of others all at once) and type in cat shows Ohio or wherever you live and that should bring them up.

 

[monarch64]

Thank you everyone for your input so far, you''ve all given great advice! I still haven''t had a good chance to bring it up with DH--we''ve had a busy weekend.

I would love to adopt a kitty from a shelter or rescue, but to be honest, I guess I''m one of those hesitant types who is worried about "baggage" from an animal''s previous situation.

My parents have taken in two stray kitties, my brother and his wife have 8!

They have all been very good pets and they all have their own personalities. I personally wouldn''t care if a cat was somewhat antisocial, or whatever, but my husband was quite turned off by my last cat and how she would be laying there peacefully letting him pet her and suddenly bite him out of the blue. She was just a moody little girl, and I think that really bothered him, much more than me.

I know there''s no guarantee of a certain breed having specific, consistent personalities, but when I discovered the ragamuffin and read the description it sounded like the perfect cat for us.

I will most certainly be doing further research on the breed, and I will look into rescues around our area. From what little info I''ve come up with so far, the breeders in our area require you to be put on a waitlist for the next litter and it will be awhile until there are any kittens available, so I have plenty of time to consider everything. I will let you all know what kind of progress I make! Thanks again!

Heather

 

[KittenKat]

Hi Heather!

I have a Ragdoll, and a rescue kitty. (The ragdoll is in the photo to the left.) Have you checked those out? They are super sweet too!

He is the sweetest, silliest, cutest little guy I''ve ever met.

We also have a rescue, and she''s just a lover. (She was about a year old when we got her.) So certainly, don''t worry about baggage. She''s the third rescue I''ve gotten in my life, and all of them have been amazing. Not one was shy, cranky or mean. (My parents have two of the rescues.)

Good luck on your kitty quest!

 

[AndyRosse]

I just wanted to say that I''m a bit concerned that whatever cat you end up getting, the cat will not be a dog like your husband would like. It''s a cat, not a dog, and as much as you try to get a more "doggy" personality, the typical cat tendencies are usually still there too. The problem with cats is that they talk with subtle body language/movements that most humans are either ignorant about or too out in space to notice. When your husband was petting your old cat and then "suddenly" the cat would bite him, it was because he ignored your cat''s body language that was blatantly saying "I don''t want to be pet anymore." A bite was just the next step. As much as Rascal acts like a dog, he too will bite or swat at me if I ignore what he is trying to tell me. And I know that there are cats out there that will let a two year old child drag them around and dress them up in clothing, but that is certainly not the norm. And if that is the kind of cat you would like, then I think going to a shelter for an adult cat is better than finding a little kitten, because the people at the shelter will know what the cat''s adult personality is already. And as for baggage, a lot of older cats are in shelters because their elderly parents had to let them go, which means that they are unlikely to really have any negative "baggage."

Sorry for the rant, it''s just that I would hate for you to have to give up another kitty because he/she didn''t fit into your household and/or husband''s expections.

 

[FireGoddess]

On the order of what Rascal said, cats definitely do give you subtle 'warnings' that they've had enough petting - the tail starts to thump more, signaling irritation, and usually when the cat bites or swats, it's just a gentle bite (not to break skin) or a retracted nail swat to gently let you know they've had enough without hurting you.

My cat was adopted from the pound at 1 year old. She had issues but her issues were just being petrified of everyone, not aggression. She didn't even know how to hiss or swat at me - even now if I have to catch her she just cowers into a corner and starts crying. Very gentle cat. But that's not the norm. Interestingly, she's much more docile than the cat we got as a kitten, that cat was a hellion, and a mean, cranky old fart in his old age.

 

[monarch64]

Thanks for your concern, Rascal and FG. I do understand that cats will still have cat tendencies, no matter what. That''s why I like them, lol! I think my husband''s experiences with our last kitty were exactly as you described, he would be watching t.v. and kind of zoning out while petting her, and not paying attention to any signs that she was finished being petted before she''d bite him. She also used to attack our feet in the middle of the night while we were asleep. That was not a fun experience!

I refused to declaw her and sometimes she''d get a little carried away...I think she thought we couldn''t feel her claws through the blankets!

My husband had a cat named Tabasco when he was in college that he absolutely loved. He said Tabasco was the type of cat (a male) who was very loving, a total lap cat, and loved to be around people. I think he was just your basic domestic short hair, my husband''s never mentioned that he was a specific breed. Anyway, I think when he thinks of having a cat again, he is remembering how much he liked Tabasco''s traits and personality, and the descriptions I''ve read about the Ragamuffins and Ragdolls seem to be consistent with his idea of a cat he can love on and cuddle with.

I just wanted to clarify, also, that we didn''t just give away our last cat because of her personality. She was a cat I''d had since college and always had a bit of a skittish personality. She was social to a point, but typically stayed on the outskirts of a room just observing...she was kind of a one-person cat. She handled every move I made through college and after just fine, probably 4 different apartments. After my husband and I got married, we got a puppy. She was 6 years old by then, and was pretty upset about the change but we figured she''d soon get used to him. She did pretty well with him, she was very interested and would even appear to try to play with him, but he was very aggressive toward her and I think it annoyed the living daylights out of her after a while. She smacked him a lot with her claws retracted, it was the funniest thing. A few months later, we moved into a new house. She was not happy at all and let us know by urinating repeatedly in carpeted areas, which we later removed and had our hardwood floors redone. For a few months we tried everything we could think of to make her happy and to help her adjust. We made sure she had a safe place, we took her to the vet to have her checked for illnesses or bladder issues, we went through I don''t know how many different litter boxes, combos of litter boxes, putting litter boxes in different places, everything. Finally we just decided she wasn''t happy with us or the house, or the dog, of course, so I was fortunate enough to know a gal at work who was in a stable home environment that wouldn''t be changing and was desperate for a kitty--hers had died at the ripe ole age of 23 pretty recently. It seemed as though fate had stepped in. If we hadn''t found her, we would''ve kept our cat until we found the perfect home--we''d never have given her to strangers or a shelter. Our decision was more to do with making sure the animal was happy and healthy, less to do with the fact that she and hubby weren''t the best of friends. We were all sad to see her go...even our dog wandered around looking for her for several months after she left. I''ve kept in touch with the gal we gave her to and she''s doing well to this day, happy and healthy, still loves to attack feet under blankets!

So my point is that we would like to have another kitty someday. I find that with my DH, the more research I do on a subject and know the facts before I approach him about something, the easier it is to discuss with him because I can answer any questions/concerns he might have.

 

[FireGoddess]

The mean old fart cat we had used to attack feet, and man, that was NOT fun. LOL. (Why do they DO that!?!??!?!!) I hope you find the right kitty for you guys!

 

[rainbowtrout]

My avatar kitty is a ragdoll (my mother''s) and he is adorable and goofy. Very sweet and gentle, loves to play and runs around the house like a maniac.